Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences

The Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences is the geology museum of the University of Cambridge, set in the heart of the city on Downing Street. It belongs to the Department of Earth Sciences and sits on the university's Downing Site. It is the oldest of the eight museums that make up the University of Cambridge Museums consortium. For anyone curious about fossils, minerals and the history of life on Earth, it is one of the more rewarding stops in town.

What is this museum?

The museum serves as the university's geology museum, and its roots go back further. The core of the collection comes from John Woodward, who over about 35 years gathered and catalogued nearly 10,000 specimens. He bequeathed part of them to the university, and the collection became the foundation of the later museum. This founding collection is known as the Museum Woodwardianum.

What is worth seeing?

The best-known exhibit is the Iguanodon skeleton standing near the main entrance, about five metres tall. It is a replica, a cast taken from one of the specimens found at Bernissart in Belgium. In 1878, at least 38 complete or near-complete Iguanodon skeletons were recovered from a coal mine there, one of the most famous palaeontological discoveries of the 19th century. Sources disagree on when the cast reached Cambridge: the museum's own page gives 1896, while other accounts point to the late 1880s and mention King Leopold II of Belgium and the palaeontologist Louis Dollo.

How do you plan a visit?

The museum lies in central Cambridge on the Downing Site, so it is easy to combine with other university sights in the city. According to the museum's published information, admission is free and booking is not needed, except for groups. Opening hours and holiday closures change from time to time, so check the official website before you go.

Frequently asked questions

Is admission to the Sedgwick Museum free? According to the museum's pages, yes. Groups should book in advance.

Where exactly is the museum? On Downing Street, on the University of Cambridge's Downing Site in the city centre.

Is the Iguanodon skeleton real? No, it is a cast made from a specimen found at Bernissart, Belgium.

Who was behind the original collection? John Woodward, who collected and catalogued nearly 10,000 specimens over about 35 years.

Is the museum part of the university? Yes, it belongs to the university's Department of Earth Sciences and is the oldest of the eight museums in the University of Cambridge Museums consortium.